"The most extensive program" of diagnosing tuberculosis in Romania
Articol de Adriana Turea, 26 Martie 2023, 00:48
Producer: Cristian Bacain - The National Tuberculosis Prevention, Surveillance and Control Program contributes to the detection of some patients who would not have succeeded in being diagnosed. Last year, more than 8.800 patients were discovered, 16% more than in 2021. Most people with tuberculosis were detected in the counties of Iasi, Dolj and Bacau. Official data show that last year almost 330 children were also identified with this disease. The annual increase in people diagnosed with tuberculosis is due both to the fact that people have started going to the doctor again, which was more difficult during the pandemic, but also because recently steps are being taken to increase access to services that lead in identifying those with such health problems. Adriana Turea has details.
Reporter: The "Marius Nasta" Institute in the capital runs the largest active tuberculosis screening program in Romania. The Tuberculosis Romania screening project manager, Dragos Dendrino, says that over 80.000 people from 33 counties have passed through the caravan, and the mobile caravan is equipped with high-performance equipment.
Dragos Dendrino: We tried to carry out a constant activity, to reach the vulnerable people who really need us, that is, the vulnerable groups who do not go to the hospital. Moreover, we tried to incorporate as much technology as possible into our work. The AI-based software reads the radiological image and indicates a score, tells you that there is a 50-60-70% chance that tuberculosis is there, and this reading is done instantly. For us it is an extremely valuable triage tool, because the moment we have a high score we can act effectively on the spot, in the community, so that the person is not lost and that we can see if there is tuberculosis there, so there is a diagnosis and transition to treatment.
Reporter: The presence of tuberculosis screening caravans in the areas with the highest incidence in Romania during the onset of the pandemic led to an increase in the number of people diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Translated by: Radu Matei
